Of Vampires and Werewolves
by OncomingBadWolf
Summary: Tenth and Rose find more than they bargained for when visiting Seattle.A surge of vampire attacks hitting the city. The Doctor is raged, and when a strange girl and another vampire offer to help, can he trust them? Twilight crossover. TenRose, BellaEdward
1. Prologue

**_Disclaimer: _ ** _I don't own it, never have, and never will._

**T_imeline: _ ** _Early series 2, after 'Tooth and Claw'. And Eclipse in the Twlight saga._

_**Notes:** Not much knowledge of the Twilight saga really needed... except they're about a human girl who's fallen quite madly in love with a vampire... and then a slight love for a werewolf._

* * *

**Prologue **

"Here we are. Seattle, Washington, America, Earth, 2006!" The Doctor stepped from the Tardis, eyes gleaming; he turned to his companion, as she stepped out beside him, and grinned widely. "What d'you think?"

"Uh… nice," Rose said hesitantly with a small nod, head tilted slightly in curiosity as she glanced around the quiet town street. "Any reason we're here though? Thought a place like this'd be a bit… normal, for you."

"Correct! But _**you** _ said you wanted to have a nice normal day if I remember rightly." He grinned wider, grabbing her hand and swinging it back and forth. "Can't get more normal than your average '_U S of A city'_ ." His face puckered under the truly terrible American accent he tried with the last few words.

"Why is it," began Rose, the corners of her mouth lifting up, eyes crinkling, "that your Scottish accent is perfect, but your American accent sounds like somethin' off of a really bad English comedy show?"

"Oi!" he protested, brow furring but grin still evident. "It's not that bad. And anyway," he waved a hand dismissively, "I was down in Scotland for a while… their accent grew on me."

Rose snorted, eyes rolling as they walked along the pavement – or sidewalk, should it be? It became slightly less quiet as they came round onto a high street. Yet, to Rose, it still seemed hushed, subdued, rather as if people were waiting for a bomb to go off or something similar. As if they were holding their breath, ready for something to happen. The faces of the people her and the Doctor passed were reproachful, and worn. Each one was crunched in small crowds, giving the Doctor and Rose odd, wary looks. Their movements were fast and steady, eager to go about the errands in due course.

The Doctor appeared totally oblivious to these indignant stares, purposefully walking ahead, his hand still swinging Rose's back and forth as he chatted on. "Did you know this city was the birthplace of the now omnipotent Starbucks _and_ there's _**hundreds** _ of other coffee houses scattered around the city, offering the best quality cups in the country!"

Rose rolled her eyes, "You sound like a travel agent… that, or a caffeine addict."

"Phhtt. Please, me? Caffeine addict?" He bounded along, either ignoring or clueless to the nervous quiet of the street. "Now if you were talking about the caffeine in tea, then I'd know what you were talking about… but coffee? Nah, no thanks. Coffee has always made me a little bit edgy. I mean, for starters I don't really need it anyway. I'm as awake as I'll ever be. Imagine what coffee would do to me…"

Rose was barely listening by now. Her attention was caught by a newspaper stand they were passing. Through his ramble she had detached herself from the Doctor, trudging with a frown towards the stand, she picked up the local paper. The title stood out in large black letters.

**Seattle Terrorised By Slayings**

Brow knotted in the middle, Rose's eyes skimmed the page, becoming evermore wary with each sentence. Words and phrases stood out amongst the rest

**…_suspected homicide… no evidence…all remains burnt… serious bone damage…_ **

"Doctor?" she whispered, still staring at the paper.

He was stood a little in front of Rose, his back to her, still blathering on, "And then there's the actual way you make coffee. I mean those tiny little coffee grains can be a nightmare to clean up if you spill any, I swear –"

"Doctor!" she called louder, finally lifting up her gaze from the paper, turning to him.

He whipped around in confusion, "Hmm?"

She held out the paper to him, which he accepted with a frown. His eyes scanned the article faster than Rose's had. She watched the emotions play across his face one by one. Confusion turned Sceptic, which turned to wariness, then to fear. He stopped at anger, his jaw gritted and brow curled inwards.

Rose bit her lip, "Not human is it? That's doin' all them horrible murders? It's not human, it's alien, right? Not from round here?"

"Oh, they're from around here," he replied grimly, his eyes boring into the paper, his tone hard.

"Wha-? They're people? But –" Rose shook her head.

The timelord looked up from the paper, his brown eyes clouded and distant as he gazed at Rose, "They're from earth. But not human, though they were once."

Rose took a sharp intake of breath. She walked towards the Doctor, placing a hand upon his shoulder. Her features were a mask of confusion, "Doctor… what is it? What's killing all those people?"

The Doctor sighed, looking forbidding. "The worst possible thing," he began quietly, his tone growing more and more dangerous, full of clear and passionate hate. "Creatures that give no mercy, going by instinct alone. The beautiful evil, some call them. The immortal killers." He looked at Rose, fear and anger clouding his darkened eyes, "The Vampire."


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

"Vampires?" Rose stared at him with wide eyes. "Vampires are what's killing all them people?"

The Doctor nodded, but did not elaborate further. His eyes began to run over the paper again, as he absentmindedly offered a dollar or two to the man standing behind the newspaper stand and stepped forward along the pavement. His hands were gripping the newspaper so tightly he was in danger of ripping it. Rose trudged by his side, watching his face as he read as though it would give her all the answers in the universe.

As usual, it did not.

They neared a diner and still the Doctor's eyes stayed fixed upon the paper. Rose glanced wearily around her, before looking frustratingly back at the Doctor as they entered the diner. She sighed. "So, you gonna tell me?"

His eyes tore away from the paper to meet her gaze.

"About the vampires," she elaborated.

The Doctor nodded numbly, and led them to a table in the corner, away from the crowds of people. He didn't speak again until they were both seated opposite one another, the paper flat out on the table between them, their menu held up so no one could see them.

"Vampires," he began, his voice slightly thick, slightly hushed, "live here. Among you, on earth. They're very dangerous. There's not masses of them, and a lot of the time they're quiet. They have a kind of order, a..." he waved his hand about searching for the right word, "royal family, if you like. To make sure humans don't find out, the secret kept, to make sure things like _**this**_," he pointed hard at the paper, "don't happen."

"You're saying vampires live here on earth?" Rose whispered across the table.

The Doctor nodded. "Have for centuries."

She shook her head, staring at him in astonishment. "You never said..."

"You never asked," he shrugged it off.

Rose leaned back, apparently unable or unwilling to give any further comment.

The Doctor frowned at her. "You've... seen stuff like this before," he said gently, a little surprised at her incredulity.

"Yeah," Rose said with a heavy breath. "Out there. Up there. You're saying vampires live here. My home. And that they always have." She shook her head. "And they're killing people." She met his eye. "Do they always... do they always kill?"

The Doctor looked down at the paper. "Not like this. But yes," his head rose and he met her gaze, "they drink human blood to survive." He sounded disgusted.

She looked down at the paper for several moments, watching the still words. "Alright then, what are we gonna do to stop it then?" she asked determinedly, looking back up at him. There was little time to stop for incredulity or fear. This was their life. It wasn't about stopping to stare in disbelief.

The Doctor grinned at her, clearly pleased she'd asked. "Well, stopping it wouldn't go amiss."

Rose looked at him pointedly. "And your battle plan for that is?"

"Hmm, well, it wouldn't hurt to get a bit more information on them. A clearer picture. It'd help if we knew how many we're dealing with. Where they locate, you know," he waved a hand distractedly.

Rose nodded. "Alright then. How about we'll split up? Work out where they... kill, what we're dealing with. Meet back here in a few hours," she told him. Leaning in towards him, she added, "Share our _inquiries_." She grinned cockily.

The Doctor leaned in, in much the same way, but his brow furred and his tone when he next spoke was skeptic, and mildly irate, "Do you actually understand me when I say the word 'dangerous', because you often lead me to believe that the word's foreign to you?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "It'd be better, more efficient, if we did it like this."

"Oh, because we're so working towards being '_**efficient'**_ in this life we live," the Doctor huffed sarcastically.

Rose just glared at him pointedly. "Have I ever told you that sarcasm doesn't work in this body?"

He just sighed, ignoring that comment, but a reluctant nod came after. "Fine, fine, just don't come crying to me if the vampire comes and gets you."

"Well, according to this paper if a vampire caught me I'd be dead." She gave a hard stare at the newspaper between them as if it were insulting her.

The Doctor was watching her with something of a stern look when she lifted her head to look at him, his dark eyes dancing swimmingly and intensely with protectiveness, along with something Rose couldn't decipher. "Well then, don't get caught," he told her quietly, crossly. "Think you can do that?"

Rose smiled cheekily. "I can give it a go, yeah."

"Good," he said firmly. He stood up, grabbing the paper from the table. Rose followed and they stopped just outside the door. "Alright," the Doctor turned to Rose. "Now listen, no wandering over a mile away at the most. We met back here in an hour. Look for anything unusual, but if you see anyone... different, you move away. Got that? No asking how sharp their teeth are, no questioning them about their master plans, not even any pleasantries about the weather – just come and find me, okay?"

Rose had to heavily resist the urge to roll her eyes again and tell him how alike her mother he was beginning to sound, but something told her she shouldn't. Perhaps it was the Doctor's stern, and a little afraid, tone of voice. Or the way his eyes were completely clouded in seriousness. He genuinely looked weary of what they were doing.

"'Kay, Doctor, promise," she quipped sincerely. She turned to the right, toward the high street. "I'll see you in an hour," she told him. She watched as he raised a hand for a brief wave, before shoving it back deep into his pocket, his tall form disappearing amongst the faces of the American shoppers in the high street.

Sighing, Rose began a fast pace through Seattle's streets. She checked the newspapers from various shops as she went, but all she found was the same story as the one they'd already looked at.

Her keen eyes met the faces of passersby as she passed, and all seemed to contain the same features. Afraid. Weary. Suspicious.

There was a lack of people out in the town. No idle chitchat, or even eye contact, was made. Each person regained a stiff, fast composure from shop to shop. They were in a hurry and Rose saw no face twice as she wandered the city.

A man in his mid-forties was the only one Rose saw stationary, sitting on a bench by a nearby _Pizza Hut_ as he read the local paper. He was reading about the killings; Rose recognized the black capitals of the front page.

She sat beside him, looking out at the worried, hard pedestrians as they quickly passed them. The man continued to read, and if he was aware of her presence, he did not show it. Rose looked across at him. "Terrible, isn't it?"

The man's wide eyes looked up at her, clearly startled. In answer to his questioning look, she pointed to the paper. The man's eyes darted from across the page, back to Rose. "Oh, it is, yeah," he murmured. "One hell of a nightmare." He smiled at Rose sadly. "Put everyone on edge..." He shook his head. "God knows... who'd do a thing like this?"

Rose nodded, her eyes on the paper. "They'll be caught. Not exactly keeping a low profile, are they?"

"No," the man admitted. "They know how to cover up though." There was a pause of silence where the man continued to stare at the newspaper, Rose following his gaze. "They killed my neice," he eventually whispered softly.

Rose stared at him, her brow furred in sympathy. "I'm sorry," she spoke quietly and sincerely. Her hand rested onto his shoulder. "What happened?" she asked, a little timidly.

He looked up at her, eyes clouded. The man looked broken; he didn't look like he much cared who he was talking to, as long as he was letting it out. "Week and a half ago," he muttered, scratching at his greying hair. "She was outside, gardening... and then she wasn't." He shook his head, but did not elaborate further.

"That's awful," Rose said softly.

He nodded. "They crushed her bones, before burning her 'til there was nothing left..." He stared blindly into the road.

Rose watched the broken man with cloudy eyes. "They'll be caught," she assured him. "Whoever's done this, I promise you they'll be caught."

He looked at her, meeting her eye and smiling weakly, but kindly. "What's your name kid?"

"Rose Tyler."

"I'm Tim. You're from England," he stated, with a smile.

She nodded, "Yeah, in London. I'm just here... traveling."

"Well, I... don't wanna keep you." He stood up, his paper under his arm. "It was nice talking to you, Rose Tyler." He hesitated for a moment. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she murmured as he left.

She sat staring at the road for a while, blatantly ignoring the indignant, almost suspicious, stares that came her way. Her thoughts wondered to the niece of Tim. Killed by a vampire. She wondered how old the girl had been. Younger or older than herself? Was she out of school? Had it hurt? Rose shivered, an unnatural chill coming over her as she thought of bared white, sharp teeth coming over a pale neck. She ran her hand over the chills on her arm and looked up across the street.

In the same moment her heart sped up was the same moment she realized something across the road wasn't quite right. A flash of something bright, like diamonds or crystals, shone in the sunlight in front of an alley for the briefest of seconds. And then it was gone.

She stared hard at at the place opposite. It was a small alley, a path in between a tiny book shop and a _McDonald's, _leading to the rubbish bins at the bottom. For a moment, Rose was torn; on the one hand the Doctor had told her not to approach anything dangerous, but on the other, a flash of sparkling diamond was hardly dangerous, and besides by the time she dragged the Doctor down here it could have gone. Anyway, she wasn't even entirely sure it was anything to do with the vampire. She just thought it was a bit... odd. That extra sense she'd acquired since traveling with the Timelord was pulling at the hairs on the back of her neck. There was no choice really.

As she stood up, Rose's eyes did not leave the alleyway. She waited for the few cars to cross, before jogging across the road. She could see nothing as she walked into the alley except the grimy, smelly form of the rubbish bins at the bottom. As she walked further through, Rose's eyesight fell into shadow, the tall buildings either side casting darkness over the alleyway; as she studied the back street, she could see no sign of anything unnaturally sparkling.

She was just beginning to question the sense of difference she'd felt compel her to the alley and was about to turn back, when she felt a chilling of the hairs on her neck and forearms. Her ears pricked as she felt the undeniable notion of being watched. Her eyes continued to scan the alley as she took a couple more steps forward, now right at the back by the bins and covered in darkness.

Her back burned and she suddenly knew her watcher was behind her somewhere. Her head whipped round, but she found nothing but the light and passing cars more than forty yards away at the alley opening. Her eyes darted from side to side and she took a step back. "Who's there?" she heard herself call boldly.

Unbidden, the image of sharp, white teeth on a pale neck reappeared in her minds eye, this time with blood spraying from an open wound. Swallowing hard, she took several steps backward, her back hitting the rough brick wall behind her. "I know you're there," she said loudly.

In the blink of an eye, the light at the end of the alley vanished from her vision, a human shaped eclipse casting over her line of sight. She blinked up at the figure and saw he was male, blond, and rather tall. His face was cast mostly in shadow, but she could see the blackness of his eyes, the deep scarlet irises. His face though was chiseled perfectly as if by stone, like beautiful marble. Rose could only stare at him, shock and horror written across her face.

He smiled pleasantly at her for a moment, his intentions clear as he took several steps forward, gazing hungrily.

"Stay back," Rose warned hoarsely, and a little uselessly.

He ignored her, and spoke softly, "Don't worry. I'm not one to play with my food." Then his fingers stretched out so quickly to her face she wasn't sure they moved at all. They were touching her cheek in almost a caressing gesture, and she could see the scarlet of his eyes, the curve of his smile, each blond hair, in perfect clarity. Her first look at a vampire, and he smiled warmly as he moved in to kill.

His mouth opened and he breathed in, seeming to elate in ecstasy at her scent.

Rose could only stare in horror, and all she could think of was the Doctor, and what an idiot she'd been for entering a dark alley when she'd sensed danger, and the image of the blood stained neck and Tim's niece was vivid in her minds eye, and how she wished she were still in the TARDIS, and oh god, she was going to die an alleyway at the hands of a beautiful vampire...

But suddenly, with a rush of wind and a sound of breaking boulders and thunder, the blond vampire was gone. Or rather, he was lifted and shoved loudly away from her by the sudden abrupt appearance of another. All Rose could see in the chaos of the two was white skin contacting any part they could. The noise of crashing stone and ripped growls was electric. Somewhere close by Rose thought she heard a girl shout a name (_"Edward!"_) but for the life of her she could not tear her eyes away from the fighting vampires (for the newcomer must surely also be a vampire to fight so well, and fast, with the blond boy).

With a growl that sounded like pain the blond one with the crimson eyes suddenly fell back, his position leading to a small defensive crouch before he leaped the length of the tall buildings either side of them, letting growl a menacing, "This isn't over," before he disappeared over the roof.

For a moment Rose just stood in shock, staring at the newcomer who had so suddenly saved her life. He was rather lanky, with copper bronze hair, each feature of his face looked as if it had been sculptured perfectly from stone. He looked even more beautiful than the blond vampire.

As if out of nowhere, a girl was running by his side. She was of average height, her features more rounded and human than the vampires, and Rose realized with a start that that was probably because she _was_ human. Her brown hair billowed around the vampire's face as, to Rose's astonishment, she lent up and kissed his neck, cheeks and chest, as if afraid to let go. She whispered something into his chin and a second later his eyes, his deep topaz eyes, suddenly shot up and met Rose's. She stared as he frowned at her, his face scrutinizing as if he were listening to something, though the girl in his arms was only watching Rose, saying nothing.

The two of them took some steps forward and Rose felt her body tense. The copper-haired vampire smiled and spoke in a soft voice, "Hello, I'm Edward Cullen, and this is Bella Swan. It's a pleasure to meet you."

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_Reviews are chocolate._


	3. Chapter Two

**A.N: **Sorry, sorry, sorry for the late update. I have... nothing to blame really. My computer caught a virus, but that was ages ago. Anyway, it was all your brilliant reviews (I seriously wasn't expecting so many for any fic, let alone a crossover fic) that really got me writing. So thank you so very much. I've never written Edward or Bella before so I'm nervous about how they turned out, and sure they're not brilliant but there you go. Anyway, here you go...

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**Chapter Two**

"It's okay." Edward's voice was soft like silk and full of a raw honesty Rose only ever heard from the Doctor. "I'm not going to hurt you." His hands were raised in a gesture signaling surrender, as the girl beside him (_Bella,_ Rose reminded herself) watched Rose carefully.

Rose only found herself backing slowly further away, which proved rather difficult considering her back was already pressed firmly against the building behind her. She found herself sliding sideways along the wall, trying to calm her thumping heartbeat and wishing more than ever that the Doctor was here. This boy – if he could even be classed as a boy – was a vampire. A _vampire_; a vicious, dangerous, uncontrollable beast; something that killed to survive. Yet... he had also just saved her life. And he had a human girl stood perfectly still beside him, seeming at total ease in his presence.

If he was going to kill her, wouldn't he have already? Unless, of course, he was simply going to soften her up so he could invite her back to his lair and eat her there... or whatever it was he did. Maybe that was what he was doing to Bella, too.

Something of a small smile briefly crossed itself across Edward's lips, and Rose had no idea why. "I can assure you," he said gently. "I won't hurt you. I just want to know..." he hesitated, and Rose saw the creeping of a frown daunt his face. Beside him, Bella was watching his face steadily. Neither had let go of the other's arm. "I wanted to know," continued Edward, "how you know of our kind."

At Edward's question Bella let out a slight gasp, "What? But she can't--" Edward just looked at her, his fingers gently pressing against her lips, affection searing in his eyes. Rose suddenly felt she was in the middle of something deeply passionate as the mere glance went between them, but no sooner had she decided to look away than did Edward turn back to Rose questioningly.

Rose stared at Edward. Was it that painfully obvious that she was frightened of him, that she _knew_ what he was? Then again, she thought, she'd just saw him swoop in and fight furiously with another vampire. That would get anyone's attention. But his question seemed to imply she knew _exactly_ what he was. How could he possibly have known that though?

"I..." Rose began. She shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about. I mean, that... man, you just..." she pointed vaguely in the direction where the blond vampire had disappeared off to.

But Edward was frowning steadily and had an intent look across his face, as if listening to something no one else could hear. "Oh," he said eventually, topaz eyes growing just slightly wider as if something had just suddenly occurred to him. His eyes met Rose's. "Who's... the Doctor?"

Rose felt her mouth fall open and her eyes grow wide, but was too shocked to do anything about it. Her stomach felt like lead. "What–? How did you–? How could you possibly–?"She immediately regretted her shock, wishing she had chosen ignorance instead. Oh well, too late now. She stopped, swallowed, started again. "How do you know about the Doctor?" She made her voice as calm as she could, giving both of them a hard glare.

"We don't," Edward assured her. He took a step forward and waited, hesitating, but Rose didn't step back. "This Doctor, he... he told you about us. He told you about our kind, didn't he?"

Rose swallowed, "How do you know?"

"Edward has a kind of... special ability," said Bella quietly from his side. "He can read minds."

"He can read -!"

"Yes, but that's not important right now," Edward quickly said dismissively.

"Not important? You can read my mind, and that's not important?" Rose snorted. "Right. Course it isn't."

Edward smiled, as Bella spoke, "Yeah, I know. Sorry, Edward can be a bit... intimidating at times. What's your name?"

Rose hesitated only for a moment. "I'm Rose."

"This is very important, Rose," Edward quickly put in gently. "You see, you can't know about where I'm from. You can't know about us, it's not–"

Edward was interrupted by a loud call of Rose's name in a cheerful voice Rose would recognise anywhere. Her eyes swept the alley opening, to find the Doctor striding towards them, grinning at Rose. He was almost near them when he stopped abruptly midway and his eyes fell onto Edward. His entire posture changed instantly and he froze in place, going rigid. His face was mostly hidden in the alleyway gloom but from the features of his face Rose could see, he was suddenly and absolutely horrified.

"Rose," he said quietly, and his voice was low, hoarse and filled with a malicious calm, "Rose, come here. Slowly."

Rose bit on her bottom lip. "Doctor... it's okay, he's not..." she looked up at Edward who was watching the Doctor with a most curious and confused expression. "I don't think he's gonna hurt me."

"Rose," the Doctor said, and his voice was louder, stronger. "Do you have any idea –" he stopped sharply and took a deep breath. "Just walk over here, slowly. Now."

Edward was still frowning oddly at the Doctor. "I can assure you, I'm not going to–"

"_You_," he shouted suddenly, pointing aggressively at Edward, his eyes wide and black, "just stay back! And unhand that girl," he added, thrusting his finger in Bella's direction.

Edward's frown on him deepened, but Bella quickly stepped in. "It's alright. He's really not going to hurt me."

Edward laid his arm around her shoulders, his eyes upon her. "I'd sooner die," he said quietly.

"Hmph!" the Doctor exclaimed, with a snort. "Bit difficult to kill you though, isn't it? What was it that has to be done? Rip you to shreds and then burn the pieces, isn't it?" He scowled at Edward and, as Rose reached his side, he grabbed firmly hold of her hand.

"Doctor," Rose whispered, "I don't think he was gonna hurt me. I don't think he's like the others... Doctor?"

But the Doctor didn't seem to hear her. "You did this," he accused Edward through gritted teeth. "You've been killing all those people."

"No," Bella said loudly, her arm tightening around the vampire beside her. "None of that's Edward."

"Really?" said the Doctor, his voice heavy with scepticism. "Who was it then?"

"Doctor," Rose whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Edward's eyes seemed to tighten, his jaw going rigid. "Victoria," he ground out through clenched teeth.

Rose frowned. "Who's Victoria –?"

"More to the point," interrupted the Doctor, "why wouldn't I believe it to be you killing those people?"

Edward swallowed, and he took a breath to calm his clenching anger. "Me and my family aren't like the others of our kind," he said quietly. "We survive strictly on animal blood."

The Doctor shook his head, his disbelief clear. "Impossible."

"Doctor," said Rose softly, "I think he might be telling the truth. He hasn't hurt us so far."

The Doctor's jaw remained clenched, as he continued to give Edward a steely, cold glare. His hand was still wrapped around Rose's; he was clutching it so tightly she was beginning to lose feeling in it. She watched his face; watched as the defined lines of his features only became more bristled in anger and fear, his entire posture ready to run at any second.

"Doctor," she repeated, her voice desperate, pleading. Finally, he looked at her; his eyes softened, and his face relaxed slightly. Their eyes locked, her gaze telling him all it could it one look. "He saved me," she said quietly. "Before, there was a vampire... but Edward came and, I dunno, kinda scared him off."

Frowning, the Doctor's eyes swept over her body, clearly checking for signs of injury.

"I'm okay now," she insisted. "Edward saved me. Really."

Swallowing, the Doctor turned back to Edward and Bella. His confidence in the vampire hadn't really altered that much, Rose knew by looking at him, but he was nonetheless slightly more mannered as he asked, "Who's Victoria?"

When Edward's eyes turned cold again, Bella spoke up, "Victoria is this vampire we think is here in Seattle, building an army of new borns to..." she hesitated slightly, her eyes looking up at Edward's perfect face; she finally turned back to the Timelord, "to kill me," she admitted.

"Kill you?" Rose exclaimed, appalled. "You specifically? Why does she want to kill you?"

"Fraternizing with vampires, perhaps," the Doctor muttered, but his dark eyes now contained a glint Rose recognized as curiosity.

"It's a bit more complicated than that," Bella said softly.

"What are you doing here, then?" the Doctor asked, a frown furrowing the brows above his steel gaze. "Wanted to walk right into the middle of it?"

"I can assure you this is the very last place we want to be," Edward replied seriously. "Bella came here on an entirely absurd rescue mission. I came to bring her back."

"It wasn't absurd," Bella retorted angrily. "I was so sure –!" She stopped abruptly, taking a calming breath as Edward held her tighter.

"We are... trying, though, to stop _Victoria,_" a growl left his mouth along with her name, "from hurting anyone else." Then he frowned steadily, and then gently smiled at Rose. "You don't need to help us."

Rose felt her eyes widen in surprise. Apparently he could most definitely hear her thoughts. She nodded firmly. "We do, though. We will. It's why we're here." She turned to the Doctor, and watched as a clear conflict took over his face; he looked torn. "Right Doctor?" she said softly.

He looked her in the eye, then back at Edward and Bella. "You're different, you say?" he asked. "You hunt animals? Really?"

Edward nodded. "I swear. We're not –" Then he stopped and frowned, started again, "Well, I won't lie. We are dangerous. But we're around humans all the time; we _can_ be safe." He looked the Timelord steadily in the eye. "You can help us if you want. You can meet our family, tomorrow."

The Doctor still looked so very torn; his gaze was still very icy as he gazed at the vampire, so Rose made the decision for him. "Where do you live?" she asked. "We'll be there, tomorrow. We'll help you."

After the tiniest it of indecision, smiling slightly, Bella recited Edward's address. Edward's eyes were trained on Seattle's streets. "We have to go," he said quietly, his arms already tightly around Bella, as if ready to carry her. "You should leave, too. It's not safe here."

Then, in a fraction of time that was barely the blink of an eye, there was just a flash through the alley opening, and he and Bella were gone.

It was so abrupt, Rose was almost torn to believe that it had all been some sort of dream, or hallucination on her part. Only the Doctor's steely glare, facing the place Edward had been seconds before, was convincing her it had all been so very real. His eyes were still so dark, Rose was almost too afraid to say anything. "Doctor?" she finally whispered softly.

It seemed to break though his barriers. He swallowed, and his posture changed, relaxing slightly, though his vice like grip of her hand did not slacken. He turned and pulled her toward the alley opening. "Come on," he urged quietly. They walked quickly through the opening and out onto the busy city street, back toward the TARDIS.

Neither spoke as they hurried through the late afternoon bustle of American shoppers and commuters. The Doctor was still holding her hand just as tight though, and his eyes continued to scan the area around them, as if he expected something to reach down and threaten them at any minute.

Once they finally reached the TARDIS, the Doctor urged Rose through first before following and closing the door firmly behind him. Only then then did he allow an exhalation of relief to leave him. Rose watched in silence as he walked over to the console and put them into the vortex without saying a word. He then stopped and leaned against the console for a moment, his eyes falling shut, and a strange and new kind of silence took hold of the room.

"Doctor?" Rose finally said desperately when she couldn't take it anymore.

He opened his eyes – the darkness almost totally gone, they were now a honey brown colour – and his gaze rested on her. "Yes, Rose?"

"Are... are you okay?"

He frowned, his gaze darkening a little, until he suddenly chuckled softly. "Am I.... am _I_ okay?" He walked over to where she was standing, his eyes running over her. "You're the one who almost got...." he trailed off. "Are _you_ okay, Rose?"

"I'm fine," she said with a shrug, then her eyes settled on the console and she nodded at it, "are we gonna, you know, go now? To their house?"

His posture took a step back "No," he said a little too abruptly, causing Rose to frown at him. If he'd changed his mind... "We'll go, Rose," he promised quickly. "I just think we need some rest first. You go catch some sleep. The vampires well still be there tomorrow." He said it calmly enough, but she noticed how his eyes tightened through the statement.

"Doctor, what..."she hesitated a moment, her teeth biting nervously on her bottom lip. "You've seen them before," she said instead. "Vampires."

His face was totally unreadable as he replied. "Yes."

"Well, what..." she shook her head, staring at the smooth features of his face, the pain behind his eyes, "what happened? What did they do?"

There was a burning intensity and total devastation in his face as he murmured to her, so soft she could barely hear, "It doesn't matter right now." His gaze fell to the floor. "Go to bed, Rose. Long day tomorrow."

Hiding her hurt, slowly and ignoring the instinct to persist when she knew it was pointless, Rose turned into the TARDIS corridors and left the Doctor alone in the console room.

* * *

**A/N:** So how was that? Good? Bad? Awful? Let me know.


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